Rumor Has It
by Blessed Unrest
Summary: He's not one to believe gossip. That is until curiosity quite literally creeps upon his door and turns his life into a game of cat and mouse. A two-shot dedication to LaLu week.


**Disclaimer**: You know what I own and don't own.

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><p><strong>Chapter 1: <strong>He Says

_Troublesome_, a voice echoed in his mind.

He didn't know how those so called friends of his convinced him carry through this ridiculous dare of theirs but…here he was. Standing in front of a small apartment complex on Strawberry Street while glowering at the second floor window with such unmasked irritation that many of Magnolia's residents steered clear of the man who reigned heaven's halberd upon his fingertips.

He lowered his gaze to the cobblestone path beneath his feet, releasing an exasperated sigh. Who was he kidding? He knew exactly why he accepted the venture into her den. It was because he, like her, had a trio of overbearing teammates who didn't know the meaning of privacy. Day after day they had barged into his home without welcome, whether it was while he was asleep or awake or in the show—no. He was _not_ going to relive that scene again. That had been the single and most awkward experience in his life he wanted to forget.

It was during one of their casual encounters that they voiced an interesting rumor that had been circling throughout the guild lately. About how a certain celestial mage's fury rivaled even the demon's and Titania's rage put together whenever her team had intruded without invitation. He laughed at the prospect that anyone could top the wrath of the top two female S-class mages of Fairy Tail, not quite believing that the same bubbly girl he knew could turn into someone so vicious. While his team had chorused in agreement, he carelessly voiced a train thought that had been circling in his mind for a while. _Why would she get so angry? _Of course he empathized with her annoyance, but he had never _truly _snapped at his team for their antics. He understood their reasoning—their need for someone to accept who they truly were, their need for someone to look up to, their need for someone to soothe the loneliness they hid in the deepest part of their hearts—and although he didn't know her that well, he could have sworn he had seen a flicker of the same understanding in her from time to time. So he postulated another idea. _Was she hiding something?_ He didn't notice he said this out loud until his companions stared at him with glittering eyes. And so between Bixlow's perversion, Evergreen's goading and Freed's damn curiosity they had cooked up a vexing plot that they knew he would accept—in exchange for his success he would be blessed with a whole month of peace and quiet. _Alone. _

It was almost pathetic how easily he gave in.

The deed sounded simple enough on paper. Climb through the window, snoop around for a bit and then report back to the three stooges as soon as possible. He only had slip in while she was gone and he would be fine.

However, he was not one to jump to conclusions without covering all his bases first. In the past few days, he had attuned his senses towards his fellow blonde mage more than usual. He watched her enter and leave the guild, mentally tabbing down the smallest habits she performed on a daily basis. He heard a variety of conversations he normally would have ignored. Like how she loved to write stories late into the night. Or like how she enjoyed her weekly strolls to the local farmers market every Saturday morning. Or like how she often went on trips with their script mage to the library. Or like how she—

_You're interested in her, _the voice whispered softly.

His scowl deepened, sending more of the town's populace running in the opposite direction.

Questioning his sanity one last time, he fisted his hands in resolution before disappearing in a flurry of sparks, swiftly landing on lower half of the roof with a smirk plastered on his face. _They never said I had to climb all the way. _

He swerved his head right and left, sniffed the air for anyone else just in case, and quickly opened the window with a flick of wrist before dropping soundlessly onto the carpet below.

The first thing he noticed was the how cozy the room was. He shed his jacket on the nearest chair and settled comfortably on her bed, drumming his fingers languidly on her bedpost as he perused the space. He knew he should be hurrying up the investigation, but there was something about her apartment that immediately made him feel at home. Maybe it was the soft light sifting through the curtains behind him or the potted plant nestled near the hallway entrance—whatever it was he found himself relaxing at the sight around him. His feet guided him to the large cabinet under the window which he had entered from, stopping when he saw a plethora of frames knocked over (he winced when he realized this was probably his doing). He carefully righted each of the pictures upon its axis, lingering on the faces he recognized.

It was commendable how many pictures she was able to take of Fairy Tail. From Mira to Team Natsu to the Rajinshuu to even the less noticeable members like Vjeeter or Nab, all of them had taken residence within her home as if they were equally cherished like her spirits. He smiled broadly at one particular instance she had managed to capture, of him and the rest of Fairy Tail grinning like fools while Romeo held their GMG trophy high above for all of Magnolia to see. He remembered that moment clearly, with the adrenaline flowing through his veins as he cheered as loud as the crowd screaming their guild's name. It was one of the few times in his life he had felt like he belonged, basking in the warmth of his family as they huzzahed in victory. He gently set the last frame in its rightful place as his gaze drifted to opposite end of the wall.

The second thing he noticed was how her desk seemed to be the focal point of room. Unlike the vanity or the bookshelves, this was notably the most personalized. It sat in front of another window, where most of the sun's rays filtered in the room, and despite the obvious signs of old age he discovered its surface was surprisingly smooth under his touch. A batch of quills stuck out on the corner of her desk and behind it stood an array of leather-bound books, organized into two meticulously lined shelves. On the upper shelf sat several boxes, secured tightly with brass latches, and next to them were a few more picture frames and a memento he supposed was from her youth—a small female doll with golden hair, aquamarine eyes, and a tiny smile which brightened her features. His eyes wandered to the two pictures behind the doll, one with straw-spun hair and chocolate brown eyes and another with a stern frown set in place yet assuaged by a pair of dimples peeking at the corners of his mouth. He silently wondered why the older woman looked so familiar, and for a while he just stared in the distance until he could come up with a probable answer. _Maybe it's her mother? _

He shook his head and set off to the menial task of rummaging through the desk drawers. There wasn't much besides a stack of envelopes, an assortment of writing instruments and a several inkpots lining the interior. After his unfruitful search he decided to move onto possibly more important things, like opening the locked chests or skimming through her journals (or at least they looked like journals to his knowledge; he had often seen Freed carrying around the same leather-bound notebook on their missions). His fingers hovered over one of the books, hesitating for a moment before gingerly lifting the cover to reveal the first page. And what he saw astounded him.

There weren't just words but also _illustrations_—all which depicted the members of Fairy Tail.

He flipped page after page, reveling in the detail she had embedded into the storyline. There was Gramps ensconced in his Wizard Saint robes, with its golden tassels riding the calming breeze of Tenroujima; there was Freed with an earnest smile on his face, bandaged on one cheek and slightly optimistic about the possibility of his return; there was Ever exposed in all her vulnerability, with tears streaming down her face as she apologized to Elfman for not succeeding in the S-class trails; there was Bix without his visor, still wagging his tongue as per usual yet glinting a fresh pair of red eyes for the world to see; and then there was him, with his eyes closed in a rare moment of serenity as his arms were folded across his chest and his face was upturned towards the sky in subtle contentment. _When had she…?_

It was then he realized that she had been watching, too. She of all people had seen past his mask of indifference. She of all people had drawn his friends as they truly were, not as the rest of the world had painted them to be. She of all people had given a story for each and every one of them to tell, their strengths and flaws portrayed in such a way that they could be proud of what they had become.

He traced the spine of the book in reverence before returning it to the shelf. _Maybe this is what she was hiding, _he mused. Letting out a low chuckle, his hand reached for another one of her journals, intrigued by this facet of hers he had just discovered. "For all the fuss you bring, you really do love Fairy Tail."

He turned towards the door, tilting his head in salutation. "Wouldn't you agree…Lucy?"

A low growl reverberated throughout the room, ricocheting off the walls until it compounded back to the source. With one hand propped against her hip and the other wound tightly around her whip, the voluptuous blond snarled menacingly at the intruder, "Laxus…"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, slowly taking in the sight of the enraged feline in front of him. _Well I'll be damned. The rumors **are **true. _Her lips twisted into a wicked sneer and even Laxus couldn't help but feel slightly unsettled by the expression which didn't quite fit with the girl who held the title of "light of Fairy Tail". His face, however, betrayed none of that as she spat out the next few words.

"You're dead, asshole."

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><p><strong>AN<strong>: I thought I'd give LaLu week a try ;) To be honest, this started as an idea for the "Trouble" prompt, and then it got mushed with "Busted" one. And don't worry, there's romance coming up. Here's to an early post!


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